Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Thursday claimed that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), who was born in Somalia, “married her brother” in what he described as a suspected immigration-related fraud scheme — allegations he said could potentially carry deportation consequences if proven.
Mullin made the remarks during an interview with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson while discussing what he characterized as an “ongoing” federal inquiry into the “Squad” member at the GOP midterm convention in Dallas.
“We know that she married her brother to try to bring him to the United States,” Mullin said during the exchange.
“We know he lives now in London,” he added, referring to Omar’s former husband.
The DHS chief went on to suggest that investigators could uncover “illegal activity” involving the congresswoman, raising the possibility that such findings might lead to her removal from the United States.
“There may be more to this, the whole family migration and possibly some illegal activity for them to come to the United States to begin with,” Mullin told Johnson.
At the same time, Mullin emphasized that the matter remains under investigation and insisted any action taken would not be driven by politics.
“Here’s what I want to make sure we do: if we actually move a case forward, it’s not a political case, it’s an actual case, because they did things wrong,” he said.
Mullin added, “If you lied about certain things about your application. There’s no expiration to that. If we can prove it – that you shouldn’t have been here in the first place – we’ll deport you.”
Omar became a naturalized US citizen in 2000, when she was 17 years old.
The congresswoman has vehemently denied marrying her brother.
